Paper cap-forming apparatus



Jan. 11, 1955 E. .1. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY E. J. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS Jan. ll, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26, 1952 I I Hu m N%\ RY m V d I w ATTORNEY E. J. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS Jan. 11, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 26, 1952 ,4, W4 w m g A 7 kw d. 3 4 Z I- 40,..." mm 0 8 3 3/ m. M m a 5 F F I 1% o M Q W Z? A Jfiw 1726f i 9 a Z 0 4 S I. E? H I; 5 I w 5 w:

1N VENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1955 E. J. DE VILLERS 2,699,274 PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR fdmundejfiefi'zfeis ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1955 E. J. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 26, 1952 IN VENTOR JfleVZZlens' Edmund ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1955 E. J. DE VILLERS 2,699,274

PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1955 E. J. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed March 26, 1952 1 N V EN TOR 222 272202 $6M .IIIIIIIIIIII A M ATTORNEY Jan. 11, 1955 E. J. DE VILLERS PAPER CAP-FORMING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed March 26, 1952 INVENTOR JfleWMMwrwfi Edmund ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,699,274 PAPER CAP-FORMIN G APPARATUS Edmund J. De Villers, Castle System, Inc., Delaware Columbus, Ohio, assignor to White Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of The present invention relates to apparatus for producing assembled paper articles of headwear, particularly articles adapted for wear by those engaged in various occupational capacities, as in the handling, processing or dispensing of food products, and in other occupations or industries. The machine of the present invention aims particularly to provide certain improvements upon prior machines hitherto developed for the manufacture of such paper articles of headwear, especially the machines disclosed in the patent of Schaeffer et al. No. 2,023,152, granted September 3, 1935, and in my prior Patent No. 2,313,628, granted March 9, 1943.

Paper articles of headwear, which here, for convenience in description, are referred to as caps, are formed by said prior machines to possess two united parts. The first of these parts comprises a circular band formed from a length of a folded strip of paper, and which in use is adapted to be placed on the head of a wearer so that the same engages, in part at least, the front, sides and back of the wearers head. The upper and lower edges of the strip forming the band are folded inwardly and vertically upon the body of the band strip to present spaced upper and lower reenforcing folds. These folds are composed of a multiplicity of sheet thicknesses by which strength and stability are imparted to the band. In practice, the ends of said folds, and the paper strip itself, telescope within or overlap each other in a manner enabling the formed band to be adjusted to various head sizes.

The second of these cap parts consists of a crown which is joined with the band in a manner closing its open top. This crown is formed by said prior machines from a substantially square or rectangular sheet of paper. In the operation of said machines, this crown sheet is forced into an associated cap band while the latter is held in a forming or assembling chamber of an intermittently rotatable turret. Prior to the forming of the lower reenforcing folds of the band, the crown sheet is fully inserted into the band, so that when the composite lower fold is finally effected, the adjoining marginal edges of the crown sheet will be received within and between the several thicknesses of paper forming the lower composite fold, whereby to unite the crown sheet with the band, eliminating the use of adhesives, or other added fastening means.

Because of the rectangular or substantially square formation of the paper sheet forming the crown, the machines of the prior art have not been completely satis factory in their operation of effecting proper insertion and retention of the rectangular marginal edges of the crown sheet within the lower circular folds of the paper strip forming the outer band of a cap. This difiiculty will be appreciated when it is considered that such prior machines require the forced insertion of a rectangular crown sheet, moving in a vertical plane, into a horizontally and longitudinally extending cylindrical forming chamber in which is arranged a circular cap band having an unfolded lower edge. When the advancing head, on which the crown sheet is disposed and introduced into a forming chamber, reaches the end of its cycle of travel into and out of the chamber, the crown sheet will be folded so that the normal top-forming area thereof, as considered when it is positioned within a finished cap, is flat where it engages the outer faces of the head. Simultaneously, the parts of the crown sheet which form the sides of the crown when in a finished cap, are confined between the outer longitudinal and circumferentially extending surfaces of the head and a band strip held against the cylindrical outer wall of the turret chamber. The sideforming areas of the crown sheet are thus caused to conform with the restricted diameter of the forming chamber. In so doing, the material comprising the crown sheet is crowded into the molding area of the forming chamber in a manner producing irregular folding of the material, wherein the folds are present without definite or er.

Furthermore, as a result of the normal rectangular marginal configuration of the crown sheet and the resultant machine shaping thereof to cause it to conform with the generally continuous circular band of the cap, a condition is set up which results in the presence of an irregular marginal edge on the crown sheet for interfitting union with the lower folds of the band. The irregularity of the marginal crown edge is such that prior machines cannot function to obtain uniform intersurface contact between the lower folds of the cap band and adjacent marginal edge regions of the crown sheet. In such machines, certain parts of the marginal edges of the crown sheet are apt to be tucked into the associated circular band folds to a greater degree than are other parts. In fact, this condition occurs with such frequency as to require ordinary manual inspection of each cap formed by said machines, such inspection being necessary to ascertain whether the crown and outer band folds are properly joined. In many instances, it is necessary, in obtaining the desired related order, to manually complete teh folding following removal of the caps from the forming machine, thereby adding very substantially to the manufacturing costs of such articles. 'Even inspection of the ordinary machine-finished articles does not insure proper union, since the crown and band frequently are found to separate upon the opening of the filatly packed caps at the time the same are placed on the head of a wearer, or during use thereof.

With these conditions in view, the cap-forming mechof such earlier machines in failing to produce the desired secure union between the marginal portions of the crown sheets and the lower folds of the bands of such articles.

Among others, the general objects of the present invention are: To provide a mac ine for producing paper caps involving a crown sheet which, instead of possessing a rectangular configuration at the time of its insertion in a headband, is cut to assume a substantially circular form, in which the marginal edges thereof are brought into interfolding relation with the lower folds of an associated band; to produce in such a machine a substantially circular crown sheet in which the side-forming regions thereof are formed with symmetrically arranged relative spaced creases or pleats; machine action a cap crown in which the creases or pleats extend approximately radially from the center to the outer peripheral edges thereof, whereby to cause said outer edges to terminate in a common plane; to provide a machine in which the crown is evenly and uniformly interfolded with the several thicknesses constituting the lower folds of the article band; to provide a machine for producing paper caps in which two rolls of paper are used, one of the rolls serving to form the cap band and the other the crown sheet, and wherein provision is made for cutting the web of paper withdrawn from the roll producing the cap crown to form therefrom substantially circular blanks which are forced into the forming chambers of an intermittently rotatable turret head of the machine for attaching union through interfolding with the edges of an associated band; and to provide generally an improved mechanism of this character which is in most part automatic in its operation and wherein hand operations and manual supervision are held to a minimum.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a capforming machine, wherein is embodied the mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view of the crown-forming side of the machine, parts being broken away and disclosed in vertical cross section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on a larger scale, disclosing the crown-cutting, advancing and pleating mechanisms of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3, disclosing the movable crowninserting head or plunger of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3, disclosing the guiding and advancing rolls for the crown-forming paper web;

Fig. 6 is a detail front elevational view of the pleating ring for the crown blanks, the plane of the figure being indicated by the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, and disclosing the transferring mechanism for moving formed crown blanks from the crown-cutting mechanism to a band-containing and capforming chamber provided in an intermittently rotatable turret;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 8--'8 of Fig. 7, disclosing sprin -pressed retaining means provided between the socketed end of a longitudinally movable operating sleeve and the interfitting hub portion of a rotary crown-transferring cup device;

Fig. 9 is a similar View on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7, disclosing the suction-producing ports formed in the socketed portion of the operating sleeve and the hub of the cup-carrying arms;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7, disclosing one of the spring-pressed control valves formed in each of the cup-carrying arms;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 1111 of Fig. 3, disclosing the serrated teeth of the cutting means employed in producing the crown sheet blanks from a roll web;

Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view taken through one of the transfer cups employed in moving a formed crown from the cutting mechanism to the assembling chamber of the associated turret head;

Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 1313 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view on the line 14-14 of Fig. 2, disclosing the cam-actuated mechanism for longitudinally shifting the supporting sleeve of the transfer cups;

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken through the drive clutch of the crown web driving means, and disclosing the manual release for the clutch to permit of hand adjustment of the crown web;

Fig. 16 is a vertical sectional view on approximately the plane of Fig. 7, disclosing one of the turret chambers with a crown-transferring cup fully positioned therein and operatively associated with a crown-folding and retaining head;

Fig. 17 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 1717 of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a detail sectional view ing arms of the folding head;

Fig. 19 is a front elevational view of the paper web from which the cap crowns are cut;

Fig. 20 is a similar view of a flat blank removed from the web;

Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic view, partly in vertical longitudinal section, disclosing the crown blank cupping and pleating plunger in position to shape a crown blank;

Fig. 22 is a similar view in vertical transverse section, showing one of the crown-preshaping and transferring cups and illustrating the step of roller flattening of the crown pleats;

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a preshaped crown cup removed from the machine;

Fig. 24 is a plan view of the crown blank in a flattened state and showing the radially extending pleats formed therein;

Fig. 25 is a vertical sectional view taken through a cap undergoing formation by the machine of the present invention. In this figure, the cap crown has been shown in the position it occupies when first inserted in the primary folded edge of an associated cap band.

Fig. 26 is a similar view showing the folded and interlocked edge of the crown and band portions of a cap upon completion of the edge-folding operation, the view being a section on line 26-26 of Fig. 27.

Fig. 27 is a perspective view of the completed cap.

of one of the clampand unpleated crown Referring more particularly to the drawings, the machine shown therein comprises a band-forming section A, a crown-forming section B, and a band and crown joining section C, the latter being interposed between the sections A and B. The section C is employed in uniting the band 1 and crown 2 of a paper cap, shown at 3, in properly related and connected order. The improvement of the present invention resides particularly in the construction and operation of the crown-forming section B of the machine, the band-forming section A and the joining section C being substantially the same as the construction disclosed in my prior patent above specified. Therefore, in the following description and the accompanying drawings, I have addressed the disclosures particularly to the crown-forming mechanism B, setting forth merely a sufiicient disclosure of the band-forming and joining mechanisms to develop the manner in which the crown-forming mechanism coacts therewith.

The cap, as stated, involves a paper article of head wear, embodying the band 1 and crown 2. The band is formed from a rectangular paper strip of suitable length. Score lines 11 and 12 provide for the overlapping or folding of one of the marginal edges of the band strip to produce what is hereafter referred to as the upper reenforcing folds 15 of the cap, while parallel score lines 13 and 14 provide for the folding of the opposite longitudinal marginal portions of the strip to form the lower reenforcing folds 16 of said band. Upon being scored and transversely severed, the band-forming strips are deposited on a slide 20 and are delivered to the turret mechanism C.

In this latter mechanism, each of the band-forming strips is folded along the score lines 11 to 14 to produce the upper and lower reenforcing folds 15 and 16. The end portions of the strips, including the folds, are overlapped or telescoped to form a substantially continuous circular band adapted for adjustment to various head sizes, as shown in Fig. 27. In the turret or joining mechanism C, there is united with each of the head bands a paper crown 2. The crown is secured to the lower headengaging folds 16 of each cap band by being positioned in and interfolded with the plies of material forming such lower folds. See Figures 25 and 26. This arrangement produces a secure union of each crown sheet with its band. It also closes the open top of the band in a manner confining the hair of the wearer within the cap proper. Further, it avoids the use of added fastening means, such as adhesives or mechanical fasteners in joining the two cap parts. Preferably, the crown is formed from a soft, porous, lightweight and highly flexible paper of a tissue-like character so that it is comfortable to wear, being cool and providing for ventilation of the interior of the cap, as well as being light in weight.

It will be observed that the band-forming mechanism A, as described above and illustrated in the drawings, is the same in all respects as that disclosed in my aforesaid prior patent, and likewise the turret or forming mechanism C is virtually the same, except for modification made necessary by the substantially circular crown sheet used by the present invention in lieu of the square or rectangular sheets employed in said prior machines.

In reference to the crown-forming mechanism B, to which the present invention has particular application, the paper material from which the crown is formed is supplied to the machine by a roll 21, the latter being suitably supported for rotation in a manner admitting of the withdrawal therefrom of a web W. This web passes upwardly from the roll and is trained over framecarried guides, indicated at 22 and 23, the latter being suitably supported at the top of the frame F of the machine on one side of the latter, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.

From the roll 23, the web W passes downwardly between a pair of power-driven feeding rolls 24 and 24. The shaft 25 of the roll 24 carries at one end thereof a sprocket 26 around which passes an endless chain 27 leading to a source of power hereafter defined. Also, the shafts of the rolls 24 and 24' carry intermeshing gears 24a to effect their joint rotation.

Normally, the web W depends from the rolls 24 and 24 to extend across the rear face of a plate 28 suitably supported in connection with the frame F. This plate is provided with a central opening and to the marginal portions of which there is secured as at 29 a pleating ring 30. The opening in this ring has rounded or arcuate edges, as indicated at 31, and at intervals these edges are formed to include folding, creasing or pleating recesses 32. The paper web, at the rear of the plate 28, extends normally over the back of the pleating ring and the opening formed therein, where the paper will be in position to be engaged by a reciprocatory clamping, pleating and advancing means.

The last-named means provides a pleating head 33 which is mounted on the forward end of a non-rotatable but longitudinally movable shaft 34. This shaft is slidably supported in a frame-carried bearing shown at 35. The head 33 is substantially hollow, having arranged within the cylindrical wall 36 thereof a rotatable flange 37 formed with the outer end of an elongated sleeve 38, the later extending longitudinally with the shaft 34 and concentrically around the same, as shown in Fig. 3.

The forward end of the sleeve 38 rotates on an antifriction bearing 39 supported in connection with the forward end of the shaft 34. The flange 37 carries studs 40 on the outer ends of which are journaled pleating or creasing rollers 41, the outer peripheral portions of these rollers registering with those of the wall 36. The rear end of the sleeve 38 carries, in this instance a gear 42. Inwardly, the rear end of the sleeve 38 engages with To rotate the sleeve 38 and the flanged head 37 carried thereby, the gear 42 meshes with the teeth of a gear 44, the latter being fixed on one end of an arbor 45, which is journaled for rotation in bearings 46 carried by brackets 47 fastened to the slidable shaft 34. Attached to one end of the arbor 45 is a flexible shaft 48, which is suitably driven as later explained to effect rotation of the sleeve 38 and the roller-carrying flange 37.

Also carried by the frame F of the machine is a fluid cylinder 49. This cylinder contains a movable piston which is valve controlled to pulsate back and forth within the cylinder under the action of oppositely applied fluid pressures. The piston carries a piston rod 50, which projects forwardly from one end of the cylinder and is connected as at 51 with the intermediate portion of a yoke 52, the latter having its lower end pivoted as at 53 on the frame F.

The upper end of the yoke 52 is received in an annular groove formed in the hub 54 of a spider 55, slidably mounted for longitudinal movement on the sleeve 38. This spider is formed with a peripheral ring provided with a seat 56 upon which is positioned and secured a cutter ring 57. Peripherally, this cutter ring, as shown in Fig. 11, is formed with serrated cutting teeth 58, which are adapted to penetrate the fine tissue material forming the paper web W, whereby to cut therefrom the circular crown sheets 2. The teeth 58 of the cutter ring cooperate with similarly formed teeth 59 provided on a stationary frame-supported cutter member 60, the latter being supported by the frame F so that it is substantially stationary with respect to the movable cutting ring 57.

When the collar 55 is retracted through the operation of the fluid controlled cylinder 49, the cutting teeth 58 of the ring 57 are removed from engagement with the cutting teeth 59 of the frame member 60, so that the web W of the crown sheet paper will project downwardly across the rear face of the frame member 60 and the apertured plate 28. However, when the cylinder 49 is actuated to advance the plunger 50 outwardly, movement is imparted to the yoke 52 producing corresponding forward movement of the collar 55 and the cutting ring 57. When this outward movement is completed, as illustrated by the parts arranged as in Fig. 3, the cutting teeth of the ring 57 are in contact with those of the frame member 60. Due to the annular formation of the ring 57, the crown sheet cut from the web W is substantially circular in outline, as shown in Fig. 20.

To retain the web W against movement during this crown-cutting operation, there is slidably mounted around the ring 57 an annular clamp 61. This clamp carries at circumferentially spaced intervals horizontally disposed studs 62. These studs project slidably through openings 63 provided in the cutting ring 57. Surrounding the studs 62 and confined between the opposed faces of the clamp 61 and the flanged end 64 of the ring 57 are coil springs 65. These springs press outwardly, and with the parts of the apparatus positioned as in Fig. 3, it will. be understood that the clamps 61 will engage the web W immediately prior to the cutting action produced by the teeth 58 and 59, so that the web will be held stationary by the operation of the clamping mechanism during the cutting operation. When the collar 55 is withdrawn, moving the cutting ring 57 with the plate 28, the clamp 61 moves outwardly under the influence of the springs 65 until the headed ends 66 of the studs 62 contact the rear face of the flange 64, arresting further outward movement of the clamping ring 611.

With the severed circular crown blanks removed from their web, the advancing and pleating head 33 is then moved forwardly into engagement with the clamp-supported and cut crown blank. At this time, the ring 57 may be but slightly withdrawn from contact with the plate 28, so that as the head 33 advances into engagement with the crown sheet, the latter will not be torn, but yet will be sufliciently taut so that it will fold around the exterior contours of the head 33. At the same time, the crown blank will be advanced through the opening in the pleating ring 30.

During this advance, the portions of the crown sheet which form the sides of the completed crown, when the latter is incorporated in a cap, engaged with the outer surfaces of the head 33. Because of the narrowing diameter of the opening in the pleating ring, excess material in the crown sides will be folded in an orderly manner into the recesses 32, producing regularly disposed, radially extending pleats or creases, as shown at 67 in Fig. 23. These creases or pleats extend from the region comprising the circular center of the crown, as formed by the vertical outer surfaces of the head 33, to the outer circular peripheral edges 68 of said crown sheet. The movement of the head 33 and also the rotation of the rollers 41 on the flange 37 of the revolving tubular shaft 38 assist in the formation of the uniformly placed radially extending crown pleats.

The head 33 continues its advance through the opening in the pleating ring, carrying the pleated and preformed paper crown with it. This action causes the insertion of the preformed crown into one or the other of a pair of suction cups 69 which form a part of a transfer mechanism M. This transfer mechanism is used in the machine of the present invention in delivering the preformed crowns to the cap-forming or assembling chambers of the intermittently rotatable forming mechanism C, the latter being of the type shown in my prior patent.

In the operation of the machine of my prior patent, the web W of the crown-forming material is severed transversely to produce blanks which are substantially square or rectangular in configuration. These blanks are pressed into the turret chambers for mterfolding union to possess generally a bowl-shaped configuration prior to being joined with band strips present in each of the turret chambers. The crown blank is regularly pleated or with the full surface area of The arrangement herein disclosed provides a most secure union, and one which does not require the close manual inspection and adjustments necessitated by the construction and operation of prior machines.

As shown particularly in Fig. 7, the transfer mechanism, used in inserting the preformed crowns into turret chambers, comprises a hollow non-rotatable shaft 70. This shaft is slidably supported in a frame-carried bearing 71. The rear end of the shaft 70 terminates in an. inwardly disposed open-sided axial socket 72, which is adapted for the reception of the extended hub 73 provided on outwar dly and radially extending transfer element arms 74, having enlarged outer ends 75. The latter are formed with transverse bores 76 in which are received shanks 77 extending axially and forwardly from the rear closed walls 78 of the cups 69.

Positioned axially and extending longitudinally through the tubular member 70 is a shaft 79. The outer end of this shaft is rotatably journaled in a bearing 80 provided in the bore of the tubular member 70. The opposite end of the shaft 79 is journaled in a bearing 81 mounted in connection with a stationary turret-confining plate 82 joined with the frame F. The extreme rear end of the shaft 79, adjacent the bearing 81, receives a gear 83, which is mounted on the shaft 79 to rotate therewith. The teeth of the gear 83 are adapted to mesh with those of gear teeth 84 which are fixed circularly to the peripheral portion of the turret T, as disclosed in Fig. 2. By this arrangement, the transfer element 74, carrymg the cups 69, is intermittently rotated through arcs of approximately 180 degrees, in accordance with the rotation of the associated turret T. The open ends of the cups 69 are first brought into registry with the crownadvancing head 33, so that a preformed or pleated crown will be inserted in the cup occupying the uppermost position. Following such insertion, the head 33 is withdrawn from the confines of the cup in which a crown has just been deposited. Subsequently, the rotation of the turret T, through the gearing 84 thereon, produces rotation of the cup-carrying shaft 79, so that the original cup occupying an uppermost position, and in which a crown is deposited by the action of the head 33, is revolved through an arc of approximately 180 degrees to a lowermost position.

In this lower position, the open end of the crowncontaining cup is aligned with one of the cap-assembling or forming chambers 85 provided in the turret T. When such registry is effected, the tubular member 70, which supports the cups 69, is advanced rearwardly and longitudinally, causing the lowermost crown-containing cup to enter the chamber 85 of the turret in registry therewith, as shown in Fig. 16. By the operation of suitable mechanism, hereinafter defined, the formed crown is then removed from the open-ended cup 69 and retained in the chamber 85 to which it has been advanced, so

that it is disposed in registry and engagement with a cap band 1 already positioned in the chamber, with its upper edge only folded to produce the upper folds but unfolded at its lower edge, whereby to enable the crown to be interfolded with the lower edge of the band when the folding of that part of the cap is performed mechanically by the machine.

The machine embodies means to hold the formed crowns in the cups 69 while positively withdrawing the same from engagement with the head 33, and thereby causing the formed crowns to remain within the confines of the cups 69 until the latter are positioned in a turret chamber 85. In this means, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12, each of the said cups is formed with a false backwall 86, the latter being spaced from the back wall 78 and provided with ports shown at 87, which extend through the wall 86 from the front to the rear surfaces thereof. The rearwardly disposed chamber-facing surfaces of the walls 86, and also the inner surfaces of the cup wall 69, are provided with longitudinally extending, radially spaced shallow grooves 88. These grooves are present for suction-maintaining purposes, whereby to cause close adherence between the preformed crown sheets and the walls of each chamber cup when a crown is positioned therein and differential pressures applied to opposite sides of the crown. Each of the back walls 86 is seated as at 89 in connection with an associated wall 78 in a manner providing an air-exhausting chamber 90 in the cup. Fas tening screws 91 may be employed to unite the back walls 86 with the cup walls 78.

Each of the chambers 90 communicates with the longitudinally extending bore 92 formed axially in the shank 77 as shown in Fig. 7. Each bore 92 is closed by a removable plug 93 located at the forward or outer end thereof. Each of the bores 92 at its outer end communicates with a pair of spaced ports 94 and 95. These ports, in turn, register with angularly extending restricted passages 96 and 97, respectively, formed in the arms 74 and their hub 73 of the transfer device. The passages 97 have their inner ends extended to lie in parallel relationship with the shaft 79 and longitudinally of the hub 73. Said passages 97 terminate inwardly in registry with a groove 98 formed in the socketed end of the tubular member 70. The groove 98 communicates with a suction pipe 99, which leads to a suction pump, or other means for producing negative pressure.

The outer end of By such means, a preformed crown deposited in an uppermost cup will be held in engagement with the chamber walls of the cup by the action of suction. Such suction effect is exercised until the cup containing the crown is positioned in a turret chamber 85, at which time the suction forces exerted on the crown-containing cup are interrupted, so that the transfer device may operate in conjunction with the turret to remove a preformed crown from the cup carrying the same and transfer it for deposit in the cap band containing chambers of the turret.

Following bodily rotation of the transfer device involving the arms 74, hub 73, and the cups 69 through approximately 180 degrees, the tubular member 70 is moved rearwardly from its plane of rotation so that the lowermost cup will be positioned in a turret chamber 85. Such longitudinal movement of the member 70, and the mechanism carried thereby, is effected by forming the lower part of the member 70 with a groove in which is positioned a rack bar 100. Meshing with the teeth of the rack bar 100 are those formed on a sector gear 101. This gear is mounted for pivotal movement (see Fig. 2) on a shaft 102 provided in connection with bearings 103 projecting from a frame carried bracket 104 in which the bearing 71 is formed. The shaft 102 is provided with a toothed pinion 105, which meshes with the teeth of a vertically slidable bar 106 slidably mounted in guides 106a formed in the brackets 103 and 104. The rack bar includes lateral rollered studs 107 (see Figs. 2 and 14), which are received in the race of a rotary cam 108, the latter being carried by a power-driven shaft 109 journaled in bearings formed in the bracket 104. the shaft 109 carries a sprocket 110 by means of which power is applied to the shaft 109 in a manner imparting reciprocation to the tubular member 70.

As the sector gear 101 is rocked to move the tubular member 70 longitudinally so that a lower crown-containing cup 69 will be positioned in the turret chamber 85, the longitudinal movement of the arm 74 will cause spring-pressed plunger valves 111 (Fig. 10), carried thereby to engage with fixed stops 112. The engagement of the outer ends of the valves 111 with the stops 112 causes movement of the valves 111 against the resistance of coil springs 113. However, the movement is sufficient so that an annular groove 114 formed in each of the valves 111 will be transferred from its position of registry with the port or passage 97 and brought into registry with a passage 96. The latter is joined with the atmosphere through an outlet pipe 115 carried by the socketed ends of the tubular member 70. The fact that the groove 114 moves out of registry with the passage 97, causes the larger diametered portions of the valve 111 to close the passage or passages 97 affected by the valve movement. Since the suction is cut ofi, and the passage 96 open to the atmosphere, the suction grip on the paper crown in the lowermost cup 69 is released, enabling the released crown to be deposited in the turret chamber 85.

The retention of the transfer mechanism M in its dwell positions is effected primarily by providing the stationary frame-carried bearing 81 with a passage 116 in which is contained a spring-pressed ball 117, the latter engaging with semicircular depressions 118 formed in the hub 119 of the gear 83. Also, the socketed end of the tubular member '70 may be formed with radially extending passages 120, as shown more particularly in Fig. 8. These passages receive spring-pressed balls 121, which are forced into an annular groove 122 having angularly disposed oppositely facing and inwardly converging side walls. The spring-pressed balls exert a thrust bearing action, which holds the transfer device against longitudinal displacement.

The cap-assembling mechanism C has been disclosed in detail in my aforesaid patent. Therefore, the mechanism C does not form a part of the present invention, except as to the association therewith of the crownforming and transferring mechanism by which a preshaped substantially circular crown is introduced into the radially spaced chambers of the intermittently rotatable turret. However, in order to complete the description of the present invention, a brief description of the construction and operation of the cap-assembling turret mechanism will now be offered.

The turret is of the intermittently rotatable type and is driven by the Geneva gear mechanism 125 disclosed in Fig. 1. The turret revolves around a central horizontal axis 126, with the body of the turret being disposed in a substantially vertical plane. Spaced circularly in the body of the tur et are the cap-forming or assembling chambers, shown at 85 in the drawings. The rotation of the turret is so eifected that when one of the chambers 85 is empty, that is, devoid of cap-forming materials, the same occupies an initial charging position re ferred to as station a in the complete cycle of operation of the turret. In this station, a band-forming strip, discharged from the slide 20, is circularly wrapped around the inner wall of the empty chamber, with the strip being in a substantially flat state and unfolded about its score or crease lines.

When the band-forming strip is thus positioned in the chamber 85 and held by suction forces against the cylindrical walls thereof, with the ends of the strip in overlapping relationship, the turret is partially rotated and caused to dwell in a second station b of turret operation.

In this second station b, through the operation of a primary folding head 127, and as disclosed in my aforesaid patent, the band-forming strip is folded upon itself about the first of the score lines 11. This result is also shown in Fig. 25.

From station [2, the turret is partially rotated until it assumes its third station 0, where the band is folded about its score line 12 to produce multiple reenforcing folds in the upper part of the cap band, as in Fig. 26. By this operation, the upper portion of the cap band provides folds producing three thicknesses of the sheet material from which the band is formed. By thus folding the band along its normally upper edge, the same is substantially reenforced to resist tearing or other deterioration thereof during use.

After the upper folds of the band have been thus effected, the turret is advanced from station to station d, shown particularly in Fig. 1. In station d, the mechanism of the machine is such as to cause the same to function in inserting a pre-formed crown into the chamber 85 of the turret, and in which the cap band has had its normally upper edge doubly folded, as effected by the mechanism provided at turret stations b and c. In station d, not only is the pre-formed or pre-shaped crown inserted into the turret chamber, but at the same time the crown thus inserted is released from its supported contact with the transfer device M and deposited within the confines of the partly folded band. This is accomplished in a manner permitting of the normally lower end of the band to be folded about its score line 14, after the manner disclosed in Fig. 25, so that the lower portions of the crown will be confined between the first fold and the side of the crown at the bottom of the latter.

In this operation, the pre-shaping of the crown is of very considerable importance, in that it enables the marginal edge of the crown to closely conform to the circular edge produced by the folding of the band material about the score line 14, providing for full insertion of the crown into the band fold, as shown in Figs. 25 and 26.

After the crown has been thus inserted into the initial lower fold of the crown, the turret T is again revolved until the crown-containing chamber assumes station or position e. In this last-named station, a folding head is used to produce the fourth fold in the cap band. The effect of this folding operation on the assembled cap is disclosed in Fig. 26 wherein it will be noted that the crown is securely held between the three thicknesses of the material constituting the lower fold of the outer band of the cap. While the same general result was attempted by the earlier machines above identified, their operation was not particularly successful, since, with the use of the rectangular crown sheet heretofore provided, it was found impossible to uniformly and evenly fold or tuck the lower edges of the crown sheet into the lower folds of the cap band after the manner disclosed in the present invention.

From station following the complete cap parts, the turret is revolved until f. in which position the assembled cap is forced from the turret chamber 85 in which it was formed and discharged from the machine as a finished article of manufacture. Following such discharge, the turret head is again rotated by the Geneva gear drive, allowing the empty chamber 85 to be brought into registry with charging station a in which another band-forming strip is inserted and the above cycle of operations repeated.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the mechaassembly of the it assumes position nism A may be utilized as shown in my prior patent to emboss, trim, coat, score longitudinally and transversely sever the paper web withdrawn from a roll so that the same will be conditioned and will be of proper length for insertion into the chambers 85 of the capforming and assembling turret. The length of bandforming material, which may be termed band strips are acted upon so that they may move down the slide, disclosed at 20, for delivery to the mechanism C.

Power is supplied to the machine by an electric motor shown at 130. This motor drives, as shown in Fig. 2, a shaft 131 on which is positioned a sprocket 132. Passing around this sprocket is a chain 133 which leads to a sprocket 134 fixed to a shaft 135, the latter being journaled in a frame bearing 136. The shaft 135 carries at one end thereof a bevel gear 137, the teeth of which mesh with a similar gear 138 supported by a shaft 139 extending perpendicularly in bearings carried by the frame to the shaft 135. The shaft 139 drives through appropriate gearing a parallel shaft 140, and motion-transmitting means, such as the sprocket and chain mechanism shown at 141 drives the shaft on which the: feed roller 24 is mounted, whereby to impart movement to the paper web W from which the crown blanks are formed. As shown in Fig. 15, a manually operated clutch 142 may be provided on the shaft 135 to connect or disconnect the sprocket 134 with the shaft 135. When the clutch 142 is disconnected, the shaft may be turned manually by a crank arm 143 in a manner adjusting the web W in the machine independently of the drive from the motor 130 Also suitably driven from the motor 131 is the gearing indicated at 143 in Fig. 2. This gearing drives a pinion 144 carried by one end of a short frame-iournaled shaft 145. The rear end of this shaft is provided with a gear 146 which meshes with a similar gear 147 contained on a stud shaft 148. The stud shaft 148 drives the flexible shaft 48 which, in turn, drives the shaft 45 carrying the sleeve gearing 42 and 44, employed in producing rotary motion to the roller carrying flange 37 of the head 33.

To impart back and forth longitudinal movement to the sleeve 38 and the head 33, the shaft 34 is connected with the bracket 47, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of this bracket is formed with a sleeve 149 which is fastened to the rear end of a shaft 150. This shaft carries at the forward end thereof a crown-folding and inserting head This head is movable into and out of the turret chambers 85, from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 in which the head is retracted, to the advanced position shown in vertical section in Fig. 16 in which the head is located in a turret chamber. This sliding movement of the advancing and folding head 151, and also concomitant movement on the part of the pleating head 33 is obtained by a bracket 152 which arises from a sleeve 153 slidably mounted on a stationary horizontally disposed turretsupporting shaft 154. Movement is imparted to the sleeve 153 and simultaneously thereby to the heads 33 and 151 by connecting the sleeve 153 at 155 with a link 156. This link is pivotally connected with the arm of a pivotally mounted bell crank lever 157 supported for rocking movement on the frame F. The lower arm of this bell crank lever, indicated at 157, is pivotally joined with the upper end of a link 158 having a turnbuckle 159 for adjusting its effective length. Vertical reciprocatory movement is imparted to the link 158 from the motor 130, which drives a disk such as that shown at 160 in Fig. 1. To this disk there is connected a wrist pin 161 by which the link 158 is reciprocated vertically. A link 158 is located at the rear of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, to effect the rotation of the sleeve 153 and the heads 33 and 151. A similar link 158 is arranged at the front of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1, to rock a crank 162 journaled in a bearing 163 in reciprocating a sleeve 164 which controls the means for introducing the band strip 1 into the machine, as explained in my aforesaid earlier patent. The sleeve 164 is mounted on a turret supporting shaft 165 arranged in horizontal alignment with the shaft 154.

With the member 69 of the transfer mechanism positioned as shown in Fig. 16 in the chamber 8 5 of the turret T, occuping position a, the head 151 is advanced into the turret chamber, entering the crown-containing chamber of the cup member 69. At this time the suction to the chamber 69 is discontinued and compressed air introduced therein to transfer the cup crown blank to the head 151, permitting of the withdrawal of the cup member 69 of the forward open end of the chamber 85. This leaves the formed crown blank in the band strip coiled around the periphery of the chamber 85.

The head 151 is of the same type as that disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,313,623 and the same embodies a pusher member 166 formed at its outer end with a closed face adapted for engagement with the central portion of the crown blank, while the body of the pusher is shaped to conform with the internal curvature of the crown blank. The shaft 150 carries a spider 168, the outer ends of the arms of which carry parallel longitudinally extending roller-supporting bars 169, creasing or folding rollers 170 being carried by the outer ends of said arms, as indicated in Figs, 16 and 17. The bars 169 near their outer ends are shouldered as at 171 to provide fold-turning surfaces. Additionally, the pusher members 166 pivotally support bell cranks 172 pivoted as at 173 and formed at their outer ends with arcuate creasing irons 174. The arcuate irons contact the folds produced in the crown and band to flatten the same after the manner shown in Fig. 25. The bell cranks 172 are actuated by the spring pressed stems shown at 175, all of which have been disclosed in my aforesaid patent.

From the positions of the parts shown in Fig. 16, following withdrawal of the head 151, the turret is again advanced to position e where the last fold is effected in producing the cap formation disclosed in Fig. 26, and from position e, the turret is again rotated to position 1 where the formed cap is removed from the turret.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a machine which automatically produces paper caps in which the crown section of the cap is formed from a paper blank substantially circular in its configuration. By being so formed, the operation of the machine is facilitated and the production of perfectly formed caps is made possible with the use of automatic machinery and with but a minimum of manual attention. Further, it will be noted that the present invention provides an improved method for forming rounded crown paper caps in an expeditious and efficient manner whereby the marginal edge portions of the crown, when the latter is pleated, lie in a substantially common plane facilitating insertion and folding within the associated band of the cap. Such method results in the elimination of unnecessary and time consuming hand operations in tucking or folding the crown portion of an ordinary square crown in a mangerdto prevent gaps between the crown and associated While I have disclosed what I deem to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it Will be understood that various modifications as to details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a paper cap-forming machine, a frame, cutting mechanism including relatively movable cutters operative to produce from a web of paper advanced between said cutters substantially flat circular crown-forming blanks, a turret rotatably supported by said frame, said turret being formed with spaced cap-forming cylinders, cupped crown-forming and transferring means synchronized with the operation of said turret and cutting mechanism for transferring the circular blanks successively to the cylinders of said turret, and a pleating ring carried by said frame, said ring being disposed for engagement with the outer portions of each of said crown blanks as the latter are being inserted into said crown-forming and transferring means, said ring serving to produce uniformly spaced radially extending pleats in outer bandcngaging portions of said blanks when the latter are formed into cap crowns.

2. In a machine for producing paper caps, 21 frame, an intermittently rotatable turret positioned on said frame, said turret having spaced cap-forming chambers, means for introducing strips of material for the formation of cap bands into said chambers, band-folding heads movably carried by said frame, said heads being movable in registry with the longitudinal axes of said turret chambers, guide means on said frame for the longitudinal advancement of a web of material adapted for the formation of cap crowns, relatively movable cutter means arranged normally on opposite sides of said web for cuttlng the latter to form substantially circular flat crown blanks,

means for imparting a cupped crown-shaped formation to said blanks and transferring the same from said cutting mechanism to the strip-containing chambers of said turret in position for coaction with said folding heads, whereby to fold marginal portions of said strips and crown blanks simultaneously in united order.

3. Cap-forming apparatus comprising: a frame, an intermittently rotatable chambered turret supported on said frame, means for inserting and maintaining a bandforming strip in flat circular contact with outer walls of each of said turret chambers, means for effecting a positive longitudinal advancement of a paper web in a confined course of travel along said frame, means for cutting said web to produce therefrom substantially circular crown-forming blanks, means for shaping each of said blanks to produce cup-shaped crowns having relatively perpendicularly disposed top and side-forming regions, means cooperative with said shaping means for producing uniformly spaced pleats in the side regions of the cupped crowns, and means coordinated with the rotation of said turret for transferring the shaped and cupped crowns from said cutting mechanism to and depositing the same within the turret chambers for interfolding union with the band strips contained in said chambers.

4. Apparatus for producing paper articles of headwear, comprising: a frame, an intermittently rotatable turret having a plurality of spaced cap-forming chambers provided with circular walls, means for introducing band-forming strips into said chambers in adhering engagement with the walls thereof, a crown-forming means including guides carried by said frame for the longitudinal advancement of a paper web in a confined course of travel, means on said frame and coacting with said web to cut the latter in a manner producing in successive order therefrom substantially circular and flat crown blanks, forming and pleating means carried by said frame cooperative with the cut blanks for imparting to the latter a cupped configuration in which each blank possesses top and angularly disposed side-forming regions, said last-named means imparting to the side-forming regions uniformly spaced parallel pleats, means for transferring the formed crown blanks from a position of formation to one of registry with a strip-containing chamber of said turret and means for inserting the cupped crown blanks into the chambers of said turret for interfolding engagement with the edge portions of band strips arranged in said chambers.

5. In a cap-forming machine, a turret provided with a plurality of circularly spaced forming chambers, means for supplying strips of a cap band-producing material to said chambers, means for maintaining the strips in contact with outer walls of said chambers, driving means for revolving the turret about its longitudinal axis, a folding head operative to turn the edge portions of strips positioned within said chambers to provide the strips at the edges thereof with reenforcing folds, means for advancing a web of a crown-forming material in a confined course of travel along the machine, cutting means engageable with said web to cut therefrom crown-forming blanks which are substantially flat and circular in their marginal configuration, a turnable transfer device carried by said machine, said device including a crownblank-receiving cup, a blank-advancing and pleating plunger for transferring said crown blanks from said cutting means and positioning the same in said cup, the latter having a diameter less than that of said blanks in order to impart to the latter upon the operation of said plunger a cup-shaped configuration in which the sides of each blank are formed with regularly spaced pleats, means operated by the turning movement of said turret to position a blank-containing cup of said transfer device in registry with said turret forming chambers in which cap bands are positioned, and means for removing a shaped crown blank from the cup of said transfer device and positioning the same in a turret chamber in alignment therewith and in position for engagement with said folding head.

6. Cap-forming apparatus comprising: a frame, means for advancing a web of crown-forming material in a confined course of travel along said frame, a stationary cutting ring, a movable cutting ring coacting with said stationary ring to cut from said web substantially circular crown-forming blanks, a movable transfer device having a cup formed with a blank-receiving chamber, said chamber being of smaller diameter than the crown blanks, an

inserting plunger for moving the crown blanks from said cutting rings and positioning the same in the chamber of said cup, whereby to impart to the blank a cuppedshaped configuration, frame-carried pleating means engaged with the side-forming regions of the cupped blank and imparting to said regions uniformly spaced overlapping pleats, the latter causing said side regions to terminate in an outer edge occupying substantially a single plane, rotatable means carried by the inserting plunger for engagement with inner surfaces of said blank to maintain the latter in engagement with said pleating means and the inner wall surfaces of the cup, a rotatable frame sup ported turret having circularly spaced chambers, means for imparting intermittent rotation to said turret, and means operative upon movement of said turret to rotate said transfer device in a manner aligning the blank containing cup thereof with one of the chambers of said turret.

7. In a cap-forming machine, a frame, means for effecting positive longitudinal advancement of a paper web in a confined course of travel along said frame, means for cutting said web to produce therefrom substantially circular and flat crown-forming blanks, a rotary transfer device carried by said frame, said transfer device including a cup open at one side thereof, said cup possessing a diameter less than that of the fiat blanks, means for insetting the blanks into said cup to cause the blanks so inserted to possess the configuration of the interior of said cup, suction means formed with said cup for retaining a blank in positively held relationship therewith, a turret rotatably supported by said machine, said turret having a plurality of circularly spaced chambers, means for positioning band-forming strips of paper caps in the chambers of said turret, means operative synchronously with the rotation of said turret for causing registration of the cup of said transfer device with one of the chambers of said turret, and a combined inserting and folding head for removing a pre-shaped crown blank from the cup of said transfer device and depositing the same in the stripcontaining chamber of said turret in registry with the cup, said last-named head serving additionally to fold adjoining edge portions of the crown and strip while the same are retained in said turret chamber to reenforce the resultant assembled cap and uniting the crown and band portions thereof in secured union.

8. Apparatus for producing paper articles of headwear, comprising: a frame; an intermittently rotatable turret on said frame having a plurality of spaced cap-forming cylindrical walled chambers; means for introducing cap band-forming strips into said chambers; means for maintaining said strips in engagement with the cylindrical walls of said chambers; crown-forming means including frame carried guides and feed rolls for the advancement of a paper web in a confined course of travel; cutter means on said frame coacting with said web to produce therefrom flat circular crown-forming blanks; a turnable transfer device carried by said frame, said device including cupshaped chambers arranged when said device is in a first position for registry with said blank-cutting means; a frame-carried pleating ring; means for advancing a circular blank from said cutting means through said pleating ring and into a chamber of said transfer device; means coordinated with the movement of said turret for operating said transfer device to move the same to a second position to bring a chamber thereof containing a pleated and formed crown blank into registry with one of the band-strip containing chambers of said turret; and means for removing the formed crown blank from the chamber of the transfer device and depositing the same in the registering strip-containing chamber of the turret for capforming union with a band strip therein.

9. Apparatus for producing paper articles of headwear, comprising: a supporting frame; a turret rotatably supported on said frame, said turret being provided with a plurality of spaced circularly arranged parallel chambers having cylindrical walls; means for introducing a cap-band-forming strip into each of said chambers for engagement with the cylindrical walls thereof; means for imparting intermittent rotation to said turret; crownforming means including frame-carried guides for the confined advancement of a paper Web in a longitudinal direction; cutting means on said frame coacting with said web to produce therefrom flat circular crown blanks; a turnable frame-carried transfer device having cup-shaped chambers; means on said frame for positively positioning blanks severed by said cutting means into the chambers of said transfer device; means for turning said device to bring a blank-containing chamber thereof into registry with a strip'containing chamber of said turret; and means for withdrawing a crown blank from the chamber of said transfer device and positioning the same in engagement with a band strip contained in the registering chamber of said turret.

10. Cap-forming apparatus as defined in claim 9 and wherein said frame is provided with a frame-carried folding head movable when said turret is stationary into ongagement with the chambers of said turret containing a band strip and a crown blank to fold contiguous edge potions of the strip and blank into retained cap-forming or er.

De Villers Mar. 9, 1943 Ray et a1. June 12, 1945 

